James Osgood Andrew
Encyclopedia
James Osgood Andrew was an American
Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
, elected in 1832. He was born in the township of Washington in Wilkes County, Georgia
, a son of the Rev. John and Mary Cosby Andrew. Rev. John Andrew was the first native Georgian to enter the Methodist ministry.
in 1812 in Eliam Methodist Episcopal Church in the South Carolina
Annual Conference
of the M.E. Church. The first twenty years of his ministry included appointments to the Salt Ketcher Circuit in South Carolina, the Bladen
Circuit in North Carolina
, and the Augusta
and Savannah
Circuits in Georgia
. In 1824 he was appointed Presiding Elder of the Edisto District, which included Charleston, South Carolina
. He was elected a Delegate to quadrennial M.E.
General Conferences from 1820 through 1832.
to be near the Methodist Manual Labor School, of which he was a Trustee. This institution later became Emory College
at Oxford, Georgia
. His Episcopal assignments also took him to Annual Conferences throughout the south and the west.
issue for the M.E. Church. However, the details surrounding his ownership of slaves, and in particular how he acquired them, is open to some debate.
According to most published accounts, Andrew never bought or sold a slave. Rather, he became a slave owner through his wives. In 1816 Andrew married Ann Amelia MacFarlane, with whom he had six children. Upon her death in 1842, she bequeathed him a slave. Andrew's second wife, Leonora Greenwood, whom he married in 1844, was also a slave owner. When she died in 1854, he married Emily Sims Childers.
Evidence also exists, however, to suggest Andrew may have first acquired slaves earlier than 1842. A man named James Osgood Andrew is listed as a resident of Athens, Georgia
in the 1830 U.S. Census. This Andrew is listed as the owner of two slaves, though he may not be the Bishop. The 1840 Census lists Bishop Andrew as a resident of Newton County, and the owner of thirteen slaves.
In addition, a grave marker placed in Oxford City Cemetery, placed in 1938 by H.Y. McCord tells a different tale. (This grave marker is known by the locals as "Kitty's Stone.") McCord claims that Kitty was a slave girl bequeathed to Bishop Andrew when Kitty was 12 years old by a Mrs. Powers of Augusta Georgia, with the stipulation that at 19 years of age, she was to be given her freedom and sent to Liberia. When she reached the age of 19, Bishop Andrews had Dr. A. B. Longstreet, who was then President of Emory College and Professor George W. Lane interview Kitty. Kitty declined to go to Liberia, saying that she preferred to remain with the Andrews. Under the laws of Georgia at that time, Bishop Andrew could not free Kitty unless she would agree to leave the state, so he built for her a cottage in his back yard and told her “You are as free as I am.” Kitty lived in that cottage – a free woman – until she married a man named Nathan Shell, and went to her own home.
Andrew's ownership of slaves, by whatever means acquired, was considered contrary to M.E. custom (especially by those in the North). Indeed, a growing abolitionist movement was evident within Methodism. The real issue in 1844 was whether or not the M.E. Church would accept or disapprove of slavery. Northern delegates to the 1844 General Conference sponsored a resolution asking Bishop Andrew to "desist" from exercising the Episcopal office so long as he owned slaves. Southern delegates countered that the Church would be destroyed in States which prohibited emancipation. Nevertheless, the resolution passed by a vote of 110 to 69. A Plan of Separation between northern and southern Methodists resulted. The next year representatives of the Southern Annual Conferences met in Louisville, Kentucky
to organize their own denomination. The first General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South met in Petersburg, Virginia
in 1846, and Andrew was invited to preside.
(1861–65), he resided in Summerfield, Alabama
. After his retirement in 1866, he continued to conduct church conferences as his health permitted. He died in 1871 at the home of a daughter and son-in-law, the Rev. and Mrs. J.W. Rush, in Mobile, Alabama
. He was buried in Oxford. Andrew College
in Cuthbert, Georgia
is named for him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
, elected in 1832. He was born in the township of Washington in Wilkes County, Georgia
Wilkes County, Georgia
Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census estimate shows a population of 10,262. The county seat is the city of Washington. Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and county are commonly treated as a...
, a son of the Rev. John and Mary Cosby Andrew. Rev. John Andrew was the first native Georgian to enter the Methodist ministry.
Ordained ministry
James Andrew was Licensed to PreachLicense to Preach (Methodist)
A License to Preach in Methodist and related churches was the official authorization of a person to preach the Gospel and to do other tasks of ministry so authorized...
in 1812 in Eliam Methodist Episcopal Church in the South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
of the M.E. Church. The first twenty years of his ministry included appointments to the Salt Ketcher Circuit in South Carolina, the Bladen
Bladen County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 32,278 people, 12,897 households, and 8,937 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 15,316 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
Circuit in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and the Augusta
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
and Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
Circuits in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. In 1824 he was appointed Presiding Elder of the Edisto District, which included Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. He was elected a Delegate to quadrennial M.E.
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
General Conferences from 1820 through 1832.
Episcopal ministry
Andrew was elected as a Bishop by the 1832 General Conference. He then moved from Augusta to Newton County, GeorgiaNewton County, Georgia
Newton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 62,001. The 2010 Census showed a population of 99,958. The county seat is Covington....
to be near the Methodist Manual Labor School, of which he was a Trustee. This institution later became Emory College
Emory College
Emory College may refer to:* , an academic division of Emory University, located in DeKalb County, Georgia, USA, in the Atlanta area* Oxford College of Emory University, a two-year residential college of Emory University located in Oxford, Georgia, USA....
at Oxford, Georgia
Oxford, Georgia
Oxford is a city in Newton County, Georgia, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,892. It is the location of Oxford College of Emory University. The entire town is also designated as a shrine of the United Methodist Church. Additionally, Confederate soldiers are...
. His Episcopal assignments also took him to Annual Conferences throughout the south and the west.
Controversy over slave ownership
Bishop Andrew's possession of slaves generated controversy within the M.E. Church, leading to the separation of the denomination in 1844 into northern and southern branches. He became the symbol of the slaverySlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
issue for the M.E. Church. However, the details surrounding his ownership of slaves, and in particular how he acquired them, is open to some debate.
According to most published accounts, Andrew never bought or sold a slave. Rather, he became a slave owner through his wives. In 1816 Andrew married Ann Amelia MacFarlane, with whom he had six children. Upon her death in 1842, she bequeathed him a slave. Andrew's second wife, Leonora Greenwood, whom he married in 1844, was also a slave owner. When she died in 1854, he married Emily Sims Childers.
Evidence also exists, however, to suggest Andrew may have first acquired slaves earlier than 1842. A man named James Osgood Andrew is listed as a resident of Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
in the 1830 U.S. Census. This Andrew is listed as the owner of two slaves, though he may not be the Bishop. The 1840 Census lists Bishop Andrew as a resident of Newton County, and the owner of thirteen slaves.
In addition, a grave marker placed in Oxford City Cemetery, placed in 1938 by H.Y. McCord tells a different tale. (This grave marker is known by the locals as "Kitty's Stone.") McCord claims that Kitty was a slave girl bequeathed to Bishop Andrew when Kitty was 12 years old by a Mrs. Powers of Augusta Georgia, with the stipulation that at 19 years of age, she was to be given her freedom and sent to Liberia. When she reached the age of 19, Bishop Andrews had Dr. A. B. Longstreet, who was then President of Emory College and Professor George W. Lane interview Kitty. Kitty declined to go to Liberia, saying that she preferred to remain with the Andrews. Under the laws of Georgia at that time, Bishop Andrew could not free Kitty unless she would agree to leave the state, so he built for her a cottage in his back yard and told her “You are as free as I am.” Kitty lived in that cottage – a free woman – until she married a man named Nathan Shell, and went to her own home.
Andrew's ownership of slaves, by whatever means acquired, was considered contrary to M.E. custom (especially by those in the North). Indeed, a growing abolitionist movement was evident within Methodism. The real issue in 1844 was whether or not the M.E. Church would accept or disapprove of slavery. Northern delegates to the 1844 General Conference sponsored a resolution asking Bishop Andrew to "desist" from exercising the Episcopal office so long as he owned slaves. Southern delegates countered that the Church would be destroyed in States which prohibited emancipation. Nevertheless, the resolution passed by a vote of 110 to 69. A Plan of Separation between northern and southern Methodists resulted. The next year representatives of the Southern Annual Conferences met in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
to organize their own denomination. The first General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South met in Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
in 1846, and Andrew was invited to preside.
Later years
Bishop Andrew presided as the Senior Bishop of his denomination from 1846 until his death. He led the Southern ministers of the church in dividing from the main church over the issue of slavery in 1848, and became the first bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–65), he resided in Summerfield, Alabama
Summerfield, Alabama
Summerfield is an unincorporated community in Dallas County, Alabama. Summerfield has one historic district included on the National Register of Historic Places, the Summerfield District. Most of the community was annexed into Valley Grande following its incorporation as a city in...
. After his retirement in 1866, he continued to conduct church conferences as his health permitted. He died in 1871 at the home of a daughter and son-in-law, the Rev. and Mrs. J.W. Rush, in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. He was buried in Oxford. Andrew College
Andrew College
Andrew College is a private, liberal arts junior college located a few blocks off the town square in Cuthbert, Randolph County, Georgia, United States...
in Cuthbert, Georgia
Cuthbert, Georgia
Cuthbert is a city in, and the county seat of, Randolph County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,731 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cuthbert is located at 31º46'15" North, 84º47'37" West ....
is named for him.
Selected writings
- Family Government, 1846.
- Miscellanies, 1854.
- He also contributed to religious periodicals.
Biographies
- Smith, George G., The Life and Letters of James Osgood Andrew, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Nashville, Southern Methodist Publishing House, 1882.